24-Hour Care in Hastings: Costs, Funding and 28 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

Live-in care or waking nights?

Live-in care is usually the most affordable way to have someone there day and night: one carer lives in, but needs about two hours off each day and an unbroken night's sleep. Waking nights put a carer in the home who stays awake all night; combined with daytime visits, that covers all 24 hours. If help is needed most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add waking nights or a second carer.

Typical local prices: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home £1,555 a week.

When 24-hour care is needed

Families usually look for it after a hospital stay, when dementia means someone cannot be left alone or wanders at night, after repeated falls, or at the end of life. A care home is the alternative to compare: for one person it often costs less than staffing every hour at home, but many people want to stay in their own home.

Help paying for 24-hour care

East Sussex council must offer a free care needs assessment; if it finds eligible needs by day and night, care at home can be part of a council care plan, and the value of the home is not counted for care at home. Attendance Allowance pays its higher rate of £114.60 a week to people over State Pension age who need help both day and night, whatever their savings. When the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. Requesting an assessment from East Sussex council.

What the register shows for Hastings

Two-year-old ratings or newer: 18% covering Hastings, 25% across East Sussex. 88% of rated agencies covering Hastings are Good or Outstanding, compared with 91% of those rated among the 135 we list across East Sussex. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Hastings (75% Good or Outstanding) is 4th out of 7 local towns, led by Tenterden (86%). 1 is rated Outstanding here, out of 3 across East Sussex. The oldest current rating dates from September 2018 (Curant Care). 25 of the 28 agencies (89%) list dementia as a specialism, against 77% across East Sussex. By specialism, 23 of 28 list physical disabilities, 12 of 28 list learning disabilities and 14 of 28 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is Caremark Hastings and Rother, registered with CQC in August 2026.

24-hour care prices in Hastings

Typical prices across England in 2026
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £1,540–£1,610 a week

What the council pays (East Sussex County Council): £28.16 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £928.72 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £994.24 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Questions about 24-hour care in Hastings

Where can I find 24-hour care in Hastings?

CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care. 28 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Hastings; 21 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides 24-hour care.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Hastings?

Typical prices across England in 2026: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Covering every hour with separate day and night carers costs much more, because each hour is paid.

Is 24-hour care the same as live-in care?

Not quite. A live-in carer is there day and night but needs a daily break and a full night's sleep. If help is needed through the night most nights, true 24-hour care means adding waking nights or a second carer.

Can the council pay for 24-hour care at home?

It can, if East Sussex council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs by day and night and care at home is a suitable way to meet them. A financial assessment follows; for care at home the home is not counted. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when the main need is a health need.

Are home care agencies in Hastings well rated?

21 of the 24 rated agencies (88%) are Good or Outstanding; 25 list dementia as a specialism and 5 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

24-hour care in Hastings: ask who can help

Describe what's needed in one form, and as many as three agencies that accept enquiries via The Care Panel email you back.

Get prices from 3 providers

Related care pages for Hastings

24-hour care nearby

Get prices from 3 providers Back to agencies

Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.

24-hour care in Hastings